This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 10-323290 filed on Nov. 13, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game machine controller for operating various actions of characters (not only robots, humans, and the like, but also vehicles such as airplanes, cars, and the like).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, as controllers for operating characters in TV games and the like, the structure for adjusting the steering wheel position of a TV game input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-187359 and the input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-50758 have been known.
As the structure for adjusting the steering wheel position of a TV game input device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-187359 discloses a controller for car race games. This controller has the same configuration as that of the steering wheel of an actual car, by which players of the games can feel as if they are actually driving a car.
As the input device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-50758 discloses a controller which can be used in car race games. This controller uses a vibration gyroscope so as to detect the movement of a hand, and converts thus detected movement into a control signal for moving a car on a screen.
However, the controllers configured as mentioned above have the following problems:
(1) Though the structure for adjusting the steering wheel position of a TV game input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-187359 enables players to enjoy games filled with such a sense of realism that they feel as if they are actually driving a car, there are children who cannot adapt themselves to it. Namely, there are children who cannot link the operation of the steering wheel to the movement of car on the screen very well. In particular, there are many small children who cannot understand the operation with the steering wheel itself. Therefore, the controller configured similar to the actual steering wheel is not always easy for children to use.
(2) Though the input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-50758 converts the movement of a hand into a control signal, the controller is just a device to be operated while the movement on the screen is watched in this case as well. Therefore, it is not always easy for children to use this device.
In view of such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game machine controller which is easily operable, in particular, by small children.
The game machine controller in accordance with the present invention is a game machine controller for operating a character which carries out various movements on a display screen; wherein the controller itself is shaped in a form identical to the character and comprises a posture detector, the controller itself being moved so as to operate various movements of the character on the display screen.
Since the controller itself is shaped like a character, so that the controller itself can be moved to operate various movements of the character on the screen, the character on the screen can be moved easily. In particular, since the movement of the character on the screen and that of the actual character (game machine controller) are synchronized with each other, the movement of the character on the screen can be felt as the movement of a real object, whereby operations become easier for those who cannot adapt themselves to games as well.
In the game machine controller in accordance with the present invention, the posture detector may comprise a gyroscope for detecting the movement of the controller itself, detect the movement of the controller itself, and convert thus detected movement into a control signal for moving, similarly thereto, the character on the display screen.
In this configuration, a movement aimed for the character on the screen is carried out with respect to the controller itself. As a consequence, the movement of the controller itself is detected, and a control signal for moving the character similarly thereto is produced.
The gyroscope may detect frontward/rearward tilting and/or rightward/leftward tilting of the controller.
In this case, the game machine controller may detect the frontward/rearward tilting and/or rightward/leftward tilting of the controller by calculating an angular velocity and/or angular acceleration of the controller at a predetermined position according to an output from the gyroscope.
For example, the controller is shaped like a scaled-down model airplane or a model robot.